A beast in human flesh
by Immortalgothgirl
Summary: As a parent, you're supposed to love your children no matter what right? To look past their faults and their strange quirks and love them for it? But what if one of the children in question…..wasn't quite right? What if they're…..Psychotic?
1. Chapter 1

As a parent, you're supposed to love your children no matter what right? To look past their faults and their strange quirks and love them for it? But what if one of the children in question…..wasn't quite right? What if they're…..Psychotic?

* * *

Beatrice Eaton lived for her daughters, her and Tobias were so proud the day she gave birth to Nico, their first-born. She was such sweet baby, always smiling, Tris always thought that her smile was as bright as the golden wisps of hair on her head that were starting to grow, "Isn't she beautiful." Tris whispered.

* * *

Nico was very much like her mother in terms of looks, blonde hair, blue-gray eyes and a thin nose, Beatrice and Tobias fawned over her, completely and utterly, "Isn't she beautiful." Tris whispered whilst looking down on a now 2 year old Nico, her little hands flailed wildly in the air as she giggled at the smiling face of her mother, but soon fell fast asleep as Tris sang her a lullaby.

* * *

**Many years later.**

"Mom, have you seen my shoes?" Nico wailed from the top of the stairs,

"Ask Cassie!" Tris shouted back, Cassie was Tris and Tobias' youngest daughter; she was 5 years younger than Nico and inherited her father's dark hair colour and brown eyes. She was very sweet and Kind and was a real mummy's girl, you could say she was the polar opposite of her sister.

Everyone thought that Nico was going to do great things when she was older, and Tris had genuinely believed in them, but now, she often looks at her and wonders what went wrong, Nico just wasn't that happy, smiling girl anymore, Tris wasn't stupid, she knew that there was a disturbing darkness in her oldest daughter. At first, she didn't think anything of it, the social withdrawal came first, at the tender age of 7, Nico didn't talk to anyone at school, she'd just sit quietly and read books at recess, paying no attention to the world around her, it was then that everyone thought she was destined for Erudite.

So Tris and Tobias went on thinking it was just an 'awkward phase' but when she reached high school, her behaviour caused great concern for her parents, at 13, she still didn't engage much socially, but despite that, due to her outrageously good looks almost every boy…and girl in school lusted after her, apparently her 'broody, angsty personality was arousing'.

One Thursday morning, in September, a tearful Cassie threw herself into her father's arms,

"What's the matter?" Tobias asked his daughter,

"There's a bird in the back garden, and it's injured, we have to help it." The girl ran off into the back garden, her parents just smiled at each other, even at eleven, the girl still held a fondness for animals, when the time came for Cassie Eaton to choose her faction, Tris knew which one she would pick.

So they went into back garden to find an injured bird _cawing _meekly as Cassie crouched over it, "Look at it!" the dark haired girl said, genuinely looking like she'd break down in tears,

"Honey, it's ok, we'll call….someone…."Tris trailed off, now, Cassie had a kind heart, but she was a sensitive flower, so you had to be careful how you put things.

Then Nico _finally _decided to come out of her room, "What's the matter with her?" Tris was quick to note that Nico, in actual fact, didn't sound like she cared in the slightest,

"She found an injured bird." Tris informed her oldest daughter, as Nico was about to leave them all to it, something caught her eye, at that moment Tris really wanted to convince herself that the cruel smirk she saw on Nico's lips was just her eyes playing tricks, but she knew that wasn't the case,

"These your new golf clubs, dad?" She said as she picked one up out of the bag, inspecting it, Tris couldn't say what kind of club it was,

"Yeah, I, I got them last week." He said in a preoccupied tone, suddenly they all heard a shout coming from Cassie,

"What are we going to do about the bird?!" She asked worriedly, she looked up when she saw movement coming from her sister's direction, "If he lives, can I keep it?" the sound Nico made was something between a scoff and a laugh when she heard that. Looking at the two of her daughters now, Tris couldn't fathom how one could be so kind and gentle, the kind of child every parent wants, and the other so…..evil and…monstrous, because that's what Nico was, and God knows Tris knew it, but, as disgusted as Tris felt with herself for it, she simply adored the girl, there's nothing she wouldn't do for Nico, even if it meant turning a blind eye to her atrocities.

"Just Kill it." Nico said plainly, still holding the golf club,

"But I want to help it." Cassie said back, Nico only smiled at her, took aim, and the bird went flying into the air, and not of its own accord.

"Well you can't." Nico told her, her voice was cold and cruel, as it always was, and the smirk lit up her face, she enjoyed every minute of it, Tris could see it in her eyes as she turned to walk away, _she loved that, she wanted to laugh. _

Both of her parents stood there, lips slightly parted, until Tris went over to a sniffling Cassie and put her arm around the girl and tried to soothe her, whilst trying to calm her own sea of emotion, disgust, confusion and…_fear._

**AN: ****Ok, first of all, I would like to say that I know there are areas where this story could be improved, which I will work on in later chapters, please leave a review and if you have any advice or constructive criticism, please feel free to leave some.**

**Love,**

**Immortalgothgirl**

**xx**


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner at the Eaton household that night was an awkward affair. Tomorrow, Nico and Cassie would choose their faction. "So, Cas, what d'you get?" Tobias said as he ruffled his daughter's hair, the timid girl never took her eyes off her food,

"I got Abnegation." She finally said,

Tris looked up and smiled at Cassie, she wasn't all that surprised that she'd received an Abnegtion score, "And are you happy with that?" she asked,

"I don't see no reason not to be." The girl gave a shrug of her shoulders and didn't notice Nico giving her a look of mockery,

"You want everyone calling you stiff?" She asked brutishly, Cassie chose to ignore her, feeling it would be best not to rise to her taunts.

"What did you get Nico?" Tris asked, Nico looked around at everyone on the table, her face melancholy,

"Amity." The girl says sullenly.

Tris' face was a picture, as was Tobias' and Cassie's, "Really?" Tris asked, Nico looked at each of them in turn, then she could hold it in no longer, all they heard was an eruption of laughter coming from Nico.

"God, no." She laughed, the cruel tones returning to her voice, "Jesus, if I got Amity I'd probably kill myself." Her bold laughter had bubbled to a chuckle, "No, I got Dauntless."

That hardly come as a shock to Tris either, Nico_ was _Dauntless, she feared nothing, and thrived off adrenaline. She didn't have the discipline for Erudite, nor the honesty for Candor. And, as she said before, death would be more preferable than being in Amity, Tris cast her thoughts back to something Nico once said about Amity, _"Who in their right mind would want to be a fucking farmer?" _She said with distain, and Abnegation was out of the question entirely, Nico was _far _from selfless.

Tobias rubbed at his brow, "Whatever you decide, we'll be ok with it, whether you want to stay in Dauntless or not."

Nico gave a sharp scoff, "She too much of a pussy to stay in Dauntless." Briefly, she glanced at her sister and smirked cruelly, Cassie didn't have the energy to put up with Nico tonight, she shoved her plate of food away and stormed off. "Was it something I said?" Nico asked, amused.

* * *

"Cassie, It's mom, can I come in?" Tris said softly as she stood anxiously on the other side of her daughter's door, she'd locked herself in there since dinner. A quiet muffle was heard, Tris took it as a yes.

The dark haired girl lay curled up on her bed looking quite vexed, understandable. "Don't pay attention to Nico."

"I'm sick of her." Cassie bolted up as soon as she heard her sister's name, "Mom…..she's not right."

Tris shook her head, "Look, I know you don't eye to eye but-"

"Mom, there's something wrong with her." Tris wanted to deny it, painfully so,

"She's got a…crude sense of humour." Tris reasoned, even if it was complete bullshit.

Cassie scoffed, "Crude…..that's one way to put it, it's borderline sadistic."

"Don't focus on her, tomorrow is a big day for you as much as it is for her." She gave her daughter a hug, and once she was out of the door, she slumped against the wall and covered her face in her hands…._Nico, why do I defend you time after time... _but as Tris knew…nothing could hinder a mother's love for her first-born.


	3. Chapter 3

Tris had a restless sleep, after hours of tossing and turning she simply could not settle, she may have a place in Dauntless, but today, her children would choose their faction, they would either remain under her wing or fly the nest, this was a nerve racking day for her as well as her daughters. Tris decided she could stay in her bed no longer, as she went downstairs for some water, sounds of heavy breathing and soft whimpers came from Cassie's room, Tris abandoned whatever she had intended to do and went in to Cassie's room.

Cassie was sweating profusely, tossing frantically in her bed, as if trying to fend off her worst fears in her sleep, Tris couldn't stand the sight any longer, "Cassie." She said after she shook the girl's sweaty shoulder, the young girl bolted up in a panic, dripping with sweat and terrified out of her wits.

"I-I-there was-" she stuttered, still in a sleepy daze,

"It's ok." Tris soothed, tucking a soaked strand of hair behind her ear, "I'll get a cloth." She made a quick trip to the bathroom and came back with a cool, damp cloth,

"What happened?" Tris asked,

The girl looked down, as if guilty about something, "In the dream…I…..I shot someone." The girl looked deeply disturbed at the thought of shooting someone, just as Tris would have been at her age, Cassie may have been Dauntless born, but she hated violence in all its forms.

"Did you….did you see who you-"

"I looked away." The girl said quickly, "In the dream, I had this feeling, I knew I had to shoot this person, but _I _couldn't pull the trigger….for a while at least." Tris wouldn't make her say more, she was clearly shaken up,

"It was just a dream, you're not going to shoot anyone." She nodded her head, reasoning with herself, _what brought this dream on? _Tris thought, "Go back to sleep." It was 6 in the morning, Tris doubted either of them would get anymore sleep.

* * *

Hundreds upon hundreds gathered for the choosing ceremony, Nico and Cassie were clad in their Dauntless garbs, the both of them looking every inch a Dauntless, as were Tobias and Tris, once the howling of the Dauntless subsided, there was nothing but silence.

Then a woman with bleach blonde hair got up on the stage, "The faction system is what keeps this country in order, No faction is more important than the other, they all benefit society in their own way, Abnegation," she gestured towards the column of seated Abnegation members, "Who are entrusted with keeping order within our country, help the factionless, as well as others who may need it, Erudite, without their knowledge and determination for discovery, we would not reach the level of intelligence we as a country are at today, Amity, without their kindness, and their love, we would not flourish into the decent, moral people I know we all can be." Tris glanced sideways at Nico, there was not a soul alive that was more immoral than her own daughter, she was sure, "Candor, who always encourage honesty, leave no stone unturned in their quest for the truth. And finally Dauntless, who have, and always will be our most staunch supporters, our most fierce warriors, our most loyal protectors, and when needed, our most brutal justice. Faction, before blood."

"Faction, before blood." Everyone repeated,

"Let the ceremony begin." The woman picked up a slip of paper and read the first name, "Niall Cullen!" A Candor boy timidly rose up from his seat and descended the stairs, he picked up the knife and pressed it down on his palm, "Erudite!" Applause erupted from the crowd, "Taylor Rodger!" The Amity girl cut her palm, "Dauntless!" Another ear splitting eruption of applause,

It went on and on, Tris had stopped listening, only listening again when she heard her daughter's name, "Cassandra Eaton!" the young girl took a deep breath, looked worriedly at Tris, "I love you." She said to both her parents, they said it back, and as she was about to walk out onto the isle, Nico stuck her foot out and Cassie went flying onto the aisle, everyone burst into laughter, save Tris and Tobias, Nico was hysterical, laughing so hard she was almost chocking, _I wish she would… _Cassie thought, she picked herself up off the floor, but couldn't do the same for her dignity, she brushed herself off and kept on walking, her head held high the entire time. She picked up the knife, and for a split second, imagined hurling it at Nico, but she shook the thought away, however badly she felt like doing it, she let the blood drop, "Amity!" _It was always going to be Amity, _Tris thought, she was extremely proud of her for making her own choice, even if it did mean they wouldn't see each other as often, "Nico Eaton!" Everyone was silent, Nico got up off her seat and walked down the aisle, but yet with a certain element of grace, she took the knife, gave a forceful, sharp slash across her palm and squeezed, "Dauntless!" as she turned to her fellow Dauntless members, that smug smile of hers on her face, they all cheered, every single one of them, they cheered louder than they ever did before, Nico went back to her seat.

* * *

Even as Nico went back to her seat, the Dauntless members in the front row were still cheering, they were the ones from school, and they disgusted Cassie, she didn't know why they found Nico so appealing, well…yes she did, Nico had it all, she was confident, intelligent, and, even if Cassie did hate her, she had to admit that Nico was very attractive, she was like an evil Tris, it was uncanny how much Nico and Tris looked alike, she made the boys aroused, she made the girls swoon, all without batting an eyelid, Nico had it all, she was the true alpha female if ever there was one, whereas Cassie got what was left, but she could live with that, because she knew she was the better person.

**AN: ****Please leave a review! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

Beatrice Eaton entered The Pit, as usual it was abuzz with the clamour of the Dauntless, Cassie never cared much for The Pit, casting her mind back to when she first introduced her youngest daughter to The Pit, _"Mommy, I don't like it in here, it's too rowdy."_

_Tris laughed, "'Rowdy', where did you learn that?" _

"_Daddy says it all the time." A five year old Cassie chuckled innocently, along with her mother. _

But now Cassie had joined Amity, her sweet Cassandra was gone, Now she had no one to rely on her, Nico didn't need anyone's help with anything, she's always been like that, _always been difficult….._Tris thought about her eldest daughter.

"Nico wasn't always difficult." Tris was at the newly installed alcohol bar in The Pit, she wasn't going home, she wasn't ready for that yet, Tobias joined her after a short time, after talking with some friends,

"I know, she was the cutest little baby, right Tris." He said, and she nodded in agreement, but when he saw her eyes welling up, he took her under his arm,

"Why did Cassie go?" Tris asked, clearly not entirely sober.

"It's what she wanted."

"I just…I just don't understand." She stared down into her glass, "What happened, Four? Our kids are so…different, Cassie…she's so kind and caring, and just the sweetest little girl, always smiling, and bursts into tears whenever one of those Animal helpline commercials comes on the T.V….and then there's Nico, who's happiest when she's torturing animals." Sloppily, she picked up glass and ordered a refill,

"I'm sorry, Tris." Tobias looked down,

"You have nothing to be sorry about, it's not your fault Nico is the way she is." She stroked the scruff of his neck as he continued to stare intensely at the bar,

"Me and my messed up family, passing on their messed up genes." Ah….the subject of Tobias Eaton's ancestors was a sore subject, he'd found some disturbing information…. Many, many generations back, he discovered that his family descended from an unusual bloodline, it came as a shock to him, he'd spent half his time being angry at Marcus for not telling him, and the other half retching in disgust. "Half of my family went mad, what if Nico's-"

"Nico is fine." Tris shut him up quick, "She's just a little…..rebellious..." It wasn't something they'd ever talked about, the possibility that Nico may be…..mad…..Tris knew from an early age that Nico had a sadistic streak, but thought of it as only mild and would soon go, but what happened was the opposite, instead of going away, it only intensified, Nico became arrogant, entitled, cruel, her sadism knew no bounds…. it all fits….all the signs point to madness…..but no….Tris wouldn't believe it….she thought back to when Nico was born, such a happy little thing, in her infancy she was the sweetest child, she would always wrap her little baby hand around Tris' pinkie finger, _she was such a sweet baby, it couldn't be genetic? _ Tris just wonders where it all went wrong.

Tobias uigded Tris to the exit, "We should go home, training starts tomorrow."

**AN: ****Hope you enjoyed the chapter, God, it feels good to be off hiatus, I needed that break, Next chapter up soon.**

**Immortalgothgirl**

**xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Please Remember to review.**

The Training had started, and Tris would rather be anywhere else in the world than in this room, watching these clueless transfer initiates beat themselves bloody without no tactic whatsoever.

There was just one Abnegation to speak of, and she looked terrified,

"What's your name?" Tris called out to the girl as she put her hand on her back,

"Abby." The girl squeaked, she was quite skinny and had long brown hair, she was very beautiful but had that rather frigid look about her.

"Don't be scared, we can be pretty crazy at times, but we don't bite." Well, that wasn't strictly true, Tris recalled a few incidents, but she withheld this information, not wanting to scare the girl.

By the time lunch rolled round, Tris had settled Abby in quite nicely, she took on a much more happier attitude and the girl was never letting that smile drop.

The Dauntless born joined the new initiates at lunch, it was the first time Tris and Four had seen their daughter all day.

Nico swaggered over to the table in her usual arrogant manner, having departed from her sea of admirers.

"What's got you in a good mood?" Tris half smiled, did she really want to know? It was unlike Nico to find anything other than the suffering of others humorous.

Nico smiled, as if delighted that her mother had asked, "Oh my God, I wish you were there, we were throwing knives at this _idiot_, and I caught him in the shoulder and he started crying." Nico smirked like it was hilarious, her parents however, found Nico's tale far less appealing.

Tris looked up from her food to see a face long lost to her eyes, Christina. She had never been so happy to see her, in the three years they spent with minimum contact, she was happy to see her. It wasn't Christina's fault, she travelled a lot, but when you're a Special Defences Task Force soldier guarding Chicago from the perils beyond the fence, she never really had any time for a social call.

"Hey girl, it's been too long." Christina engulfed Tris into a bone crushing bear hug, repeating the same gesture with Tobias.

She then looked over to Nico, who Tris had noticed was less eager to boast of her vile actions, "You've grown." Christina smiled, Nico said not a word, only raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement.

Tris smirked, she found it amusing that Nico instantly shut up the moment she became aware of her Godmother's presence, yes Christina was Nico's Godmother, and she was the only woman in Chicago who Nico was scared of.

"What happened to little Cassie?"

It hurt Tris to speak the words, she ran a hand through her blonde hair and took an audible swig from her goblet, "Amity's newest recruit." It all came back, her sweet girl was gone, her gentle, kind-hearted Cassie was gone, and what was she left with? Nico was everything to Tris, but she disgusted her to the pit of her stomach, a beast in human flesh if ever there was one, yet Tris could see naught past her doe-eyes and golden hair.

* * *

It was after lunch that she switched, her priority was to now instruct the Dauntless born, including Nico,

"Ok, Jessie, Nico, You're up." One of the instructors said, Jessie, Nico's opponent, froze, and with good reason, no one could deny that Nico was a formidable fighter, to enter into a fight with her was to more or less sign your death warrant.

The two girls stepped into the ring, not only was Jessie's stomach swirling with dread, but that flash of a grin on Nico's face did little to reassure her. Without a word's warning, Nico's fist collided with her nose with a bone chilling _crack, _Tris felt a shiver up her spine when that poor girl hit the ground with a _thud_, but felt an ominous shiver at Nico's pleasure.

Nico went on battering the poor girl, (Who Tris later discovered used to own a cat, until Nico skinned it alive.) she seemed to get even more riled up at the sight of her swollen eyes and her split lip, she was about to deliver a possibly fatal blow, but before Nico could stamp her foot down on Jessie's bleeding nose, Christina intervened, much to Nico's chagrin, and Tris' relief.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nico fumed at her Godmother, "I had her, one more hit and I'd have finished her!"

"Exactly!" Christina screamed back, as she pointed to Jessie limping away, held up by two Dauntless boys for support, "You'd have _finished _her Nico! Hell, I think she's lucky to be alive!" Someone threw Nico a towel, she wiped the sweat off her face and chest as she stepped out of the ring, Christina stormed after her, grabbing Nico's arm and spinning her back round to meet her furious glare,

"It's not my fault she didn't fight back!" Nico protested, but Christina didn't care for her excuses, she knew exactly what Nico was like, "I can't _believe _you would do that, who the fuck do you think you a!-"

Christina cut the livid girl off with a hard, whip-like slap across the face. Nico staggered back, both aghast and mortified at what Christina had just done for everyone to see, she held her reddened cheek and looked at Christina with her mother's doe-eyes, "One more word, one more slap." She said, Nico whipped her head to face a helpless Tris,

"Mom, are you just gunna stand there and let her talk to me like tha!-"

Christina slapped her again, this time on the other cheek, giving her the red flush to match the other,

"You can't!" Nico screamed, her vicious temper had yet again reared it's ugly head, her eyes burned with fury and hatred, but Christina slapped her again, in front of everyone, and Nico's eyes darted about the astonished crowd and she stormed off in a violent, vicious rage.

Tris couldn't believe what she had witnessed, to see Nico so….so defeated…so mortified….it scared her…..Nico would be out for revenge….but she daren't try anything with Christina, she was the only woman who could put Nico in her place.

As the clamour and the buzz died after the commotion, Dauntless leadership came up and Patted Tris on the shoulder, and told her, in a foreboding, ominous tone, after seeing the damage that her daughter had done to Jessie, he smiled and said, "She'll make an excellent soldier." And walked off.

Tris wanted to be sick at that moment.


	6. Chapter 6

It was visiting day, and Tris could hardly wait to get to the Amity compound, after that dreadful episode with Christina, Nico had been staying out of everyone's way, Tris could hear the dull thump of fists colliding with a punch bag over and over again from Nico's room.

"I can't wait to see Cassie." Christina gobbled up a piece of bacon, "I always knew that girl would go Amity." Tris had known it too, ever since that day when she was 8 years old and brought a scraggly little stray cat in the house so it wouldn't go cold or get wet in the rain.

"You and me both Christina." Tris smiled helping herself to her second cup of coffee. "I should probably ask Nico if she wants to-"

"Really? In what universe is that a good idea?" Christina arched her eyebrow, Knowing how Tris would end her sentence, "I don't know where you've been these past couple years, but the last time I checked, they hated each other."

"I know but…but she's her sister, don't you think she'll want to see her after so long?"

"We are talking about the same Nico right?" Christina gave an incredulous laugh and took some orange juice, "That girl doesn't care about anyone or anything, and you've been living under a rock if you think otherwise." Tris was about to protest, but the masculine thud of strong feet were heard on the stairs that could only be Tobias.

"Hey, just got these Dauntless cakes from upstairs, completely forgot I had them….We could bring them to Cassie, a little bit of home." He said, inspecting them.

"Amity is her home now." Tris said solemnly, as if remembering a horrible truth. Another, less urgent thud of feet could be heard on the stairs, then everyone avoided eye contact.

Even now, after all these years, it still amazed Tris at how long Nico was able to be angry at something, how long she could hold a grudge. She stood at the doorway, her hand ghosting over the frame.

Since nobody else was willing to assume the dreaded task, Tris spoke first, "Good morning Nico."

Nico cleared her throat and quickly stole a glance at the back of Christina's head, "Hey." It was by no means a warm reply, Nico had never been so humiliated in her life, and her pride was still greatly wounded.

"It's visiting day today."

"I know what day it is." Nico snapped back at Tris, still salty over the fact that she never did anything to stop Christina making a mockery of her, Christina would call Nico's actions 'Crying'.

"Don't talk to your mother like that Nico." Said Tobias scornfully, to which Nico scoffed,

"When are you going to stop acting like a petulant child?" Christina questioned Nico across the table, who was reddening all over again.

"I'm _not _petulant."

"So are you coming to visit Cassie with us?" Tris said quickly, wanting nothing more than to defuse what was quickly turning into a repeat of the other day.

As usual, Nico nipped that suggestion in the bud with a malicious laugh, "And why would I do that? I'm not going to trudge through shit-smelling amity farms just to see my pussy of a sis –" A hard,_ cracking _sound was heard as Christina forcefully swiped her hand across Nico's face, after the silence that followed Nico got up, and Tris saw her eyes turn black.

"I will _kill _you for that! Do you hear me! You're dead!" She screamed as Tobias restrained her, she screamed until her throat was raw, she writhed to loose herself from Four, "I need to be somewhere." She said, her words leaving a vile taste in Tris' mouth, "They hate it if I'm late."

"Who do?"

"That's for me to know, mother. For me to know."


	7. Chapter 7

It had been over three months since Tris had seen her little Cassandra. She was ploughing the fields when they arrived. _She's stronger, has a bit more muscle on her now,_ Cassie never did fit in with the bloodthirsty Dauntless, not like Nico, who seemed to be the natural leader of the pack, much like Tobias had been during his time as a Dauntless initiate. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Christina smiled wickedly when Cassie embraced her,_ her hair is longer_…. "Wow!" Christina had Cassie's face cupped in her hands as she turned back to Tris, "I can't believe how big she's gotten…It felt like you were only a tiny baby the last time I saw you."

"It wasn't that long ago." Cassie told her with a shy smile, Tris wanted nothing more than to weep for sheer joy, but that would set Cassie off as well….she was, as Nico had said with a snigger 'A sensitive soul' although she did allow the tears to float at the brim of her eyelids.

"Come here, let me look at you." Tris extended her arms, and her youngest child darted from Christina and all but catapulted herself into her mother's arms, savouring what little time they had, "Oh no baby, don't cry." She soothed when she heard a muffled sniffle coming from the girl who nuzzled her face into her chest, "I missed you _so _much."

"I missed you too mom." She said, wiping a tear from her eye, she looked up to see a tall muscular figure,

"What about me? Don't dads get a hug these days?" Tobias laughed jokingly as Cassie hugged him, "Look what we found at home." He revealed the cakes he had been hiding behind his back, and Cassie smiled…no, she beamed when she saw the Dauntless cakes.

She gleefully snatched the cakes from Tobias, like a child receiving a present, "You have no idea how much I've been craving these since I came here." She took a bite and swallowed contently, but upon observation…she had noticed there was one person missing from their company….. "Where's Nico?"

* * *

_One bullet left…._Nico repeated to herself, she squinted her eye and peered down the length of her gun, her heart pumped euphorically as she heard the bang when she pulled the trigger, all was silent as the smoke from the end of the barrel drifted into the air, "Good work, Eaton." The trainer had told her with a brusque pat on the shoulder, and then walked off. Nico couldn't stand the man personally, he was fat and ignorant, and, in her humble opinion he wouldn't know what combat was if it smacked him in the face, but her job was to serve, to obey, so persevere she must.

She left the unit feeling more heavy-hearted than usual, and she didn't know why, she stopped abruptly in the hallway when she heard the clip-clop of heels on the stone floor, "Don't you just hate those boring drills." The girl had asked her, Nico thought she had a very alluring smile, like she knew something you didn't,

"Yeah." Nico really didn't know what else to say, or why the girl with the alluring smile and the beautiful brown eyes wanted to talk with her.

"I've got to hand it to you though, it was awfully cute watching you try." The girl said with a devilish grin, "Although I would've thought someone with your prowess in the field would've been a little faster."

Nico was, to say the least, astonished…astonished that someone had actually had the nerve to talk to her like that, anyone else would have ended up on the floor for speaking to Nico like that, but she was starting to get the feeling that this girl wasn't just anyone else. "Excuse me?" Nico said after being stunned into silence, "I'm top of the class in the mainstream training and I'm the most versatile soldier in…." Nico stopped and looked around…_anyone could be hearing…_ "Our….station."

"And yet I could beat you with laughable ease, sweetie." The girl swaggered past Nico, hips swaying and all, leaving Nico Eaton, for the first time, speechless, the girl called back over her shoulder, "I'm Georgia, by the way!"

Her velvety giggle was heard as she disappeared round the corner.


	8. Chapter 8

Every limb in Nico's body ached, to shift her weight was agony, to move her arms was unbearable, today's training had been particularly grueling, Nico couldn't pinpoint why exactly, nor could she recall the exact moment as to when she'd begun to feel the strain of the circuits. A sharp hiss whirled through the gaps of clenched teeth as she bent down to retrieve her gun. "Let me get that for you, sweetie." Said a voice above her, she recognized that voice, it belonged to the same person who had stopped her in the corridor, who belittled her agility skills, who thought calling her 'sweetie' was a good idea.

"You again?" Nico said with an arched eyebrow, trying to hide how painful it was to bend back up in front of Georgia, "How is it that until now I've never even been aware of your existence, and now that I am, I can't seem to get rid of you and that annoying Alabama twang in your accent?"

At this, Georgia raised her brows and gasped mockingly, pretending to be offended, "What can I say, I'm very elusive." She swooped down and tossed the gun to Nico who gracefully plucked it from the air, "You should see the doctor before combat training today."

"What? I don't ne-"

"I saw you seize up when you tried to walk, I saw the tremors in your hands when you were reloading, I shouldn't much like the idea of my little Nico in that sort of pain." She smiled sweetly as she patted Nico's cheek, quietly amused that she'd stunned the girl into silence.

_My little Nico? Who is this girl?_ Nico thought incredulously,_ more importantly, why haven't I kicked the shit out of her yet? _It was a question that shamed her to answer, even to herself, and if this girl made her feel shame, then she was a fearsome threat indeed. "I don't need a doctor, it's nothing a few hours of rest won't fix."

Georgia's wanton smile over her shoulder as she walked out of the gun range was what through Nico off, "In any case, darlin', make sure you're all set and ready for the fighting ring later, I'd like _some _competition, even if it is you."

The day was bright but her mood was bright enough to eclipse even the sun, Tris was nothing short of glowing on her way back to the Dauntless compound, content to see how well Cassandra had adjusted to life on the Amity farms, "Did she seem happy to you? She seemed happy, right?" Tris turned to Christina with an unfamiliar amount of uncertainty in her voice, for the life of her she couldn't fathom how Cassie had gotten so strong, the definition in her arms, the sturdiness of her calves and shoulders and the solid centre of her stomach, she was looking more like Nico every day, _thank god the resemblance ends there. _

"I think she's where she needs to be." Christina stated simply, but she knew Tris, and right about now she'd be worrying because Christina hadn't answered the question, "She's never looked better."

"Agreed." Tobias Chimed in, before the clatter of the train again grasped his attention, "Are you coming to the fighting area today?"

"Sure." Christina said, biting off age chunk of her apple, "Besides, I'm hoping I'll see Nico there, see if she has anything to say after our little disagreement."

Tris tried not to let the worry seep through on to her face when she saw that Nico was nowhere to be found, she watched as some poor girl was flung around every inch of the ring by a girl who looked to be well taught in these matters, calculating in her movements, footwork so refined it looked as though her feet did not touch the floor, these were the soldiers you wanted guarding the fence. "Okay, Georgia, wasn't it?" Tobias asked, the girl smiled brilliantly and nodded a tad over enthusiastically, "Good job today, why don't you take five and then go over to the gun range?"

Georgia was about to reply, but no sooner were her words replaced with a victorious smile did Nico sprint into centre of the room, glancing at Georgia and flashing her a ghost of a smirk, _game on, bitch, _it said, and Georgia knew it, "She's not quite done yet, dad." Nico said with authority, the two girls squared up to each other and the tension became palpable to Tris, Christina and Four and anyone else who looked their way.

"Woah, save it for the ring, ladies." Christina hooted, stepping in between the girls, noticing how the cocksure smile never left Georgia's face, "I think you might need to watch this one, Nico. I think the poor girl she fought before might have lost the use of her legs." She let out an awkward chuckle, wishing she was partially joking. The crowd re-assembled again as the two girls stepped into the ring but all Nico and Georgia could see was each other, all they cared about was beating the other, it was Nico who swung first, her calculating tactics and pre-meditated movements forgotten as the sounds of whistles and howls came gushing back, she was impatient, and eager to win, not for the others, not to add to her own personal accolades, but to prove to Georgia she was better.

Georgia missed the punch with ease, ducking and twisting from Nico's clumsy, rash attack, a breathless sound came from her mouth as she heard the other girl growl as she turned to land a second blow, unfortunately, when she made them, Nico learned from her mistakes and was not so forgiving with her second punch, Georgia found out when she hit the floor arse-first. "If you want to forfeit now, please do so." Nico beamed maliciously, "Save yourself any further embarrassment."

Georgia sprung from the floor as if she was never even there, the pang of discomfort at the small of her back forgotten as she tried to infiltrate Nico's defences, Nico ducked and dodged and bust Georgia's lip open and relished the screaming voices of the crowd that would soon belong to her.

Until she didn't.

Nico wasn't used to seeing the view from the floor, but after Georgia threw her over her shoulder she was unable to get back up from it, the feral barking of the crowd came to an abrupt standstill, and all Tris, Christina, and even Tobias could do was gawp.

Georgia leaned and pressed a patronizing kiss to Nico's sweat-beaded forehead and smirk triumphantly when their eyes met, "There is _nothing _annoying about my accent." She said, with that annoying Alabama twang in her accent.


End file.
